The-Tibetan-Book-of-Living-and-Dying

218 THE TIBETAN BOOK OF LIVING AND DYING
FINDING A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
If your dying friend or relative is familiar with some kind
of meditation practice, encourage him or her to rest in meditation
as much as possible, and meditate with the person as
death approaches. If the dying person is at all open to the idea
of spiritual practice, help the person find a suitable, simple
practice, do it with him or her as often as possible, and keep
reminding the person gently of it as death nears.
Be resourceful and inventive in how you help at this crucial
moment, for a great deal depends on it: The whole atmosphere
of dying can be transformed if people find a practice
they can do wholeheartedly before and as they die. There are
so many aspects of spiritual practice; use your acumen and
sensitivity to find the one they might be most connected with:
it could be forgiveness, purification, dedication, or feeling the
presence of light or love. And as you help them begin, pray
for the success of their practice with all your heart and mind;
pray for them to be given every energy and faith to follow the
path they choose. I have known people even at the latest
stages of dying make the most startling spiritual progress by
using one prayer or one mantra or one simple visualization
with which they really made a connection in their heart.
Stephen Levine tells the story of a woman he was counseling
who was dying of cancer. 2 She felt lost because, although
she had a natural devotion to Jesus Christ, she had left the
church. Together they explored what she might do to
strengthen that faith and devotion. She came to the realization
that what would help her renew her connection with Christ,
and find some trust and confidence while dying, would be to
repeat continuously the prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy
on me." Saying this prayer opened her heart, and she began to
feel Christ's presence with her at all times.
THE ESSENTIAL PHOWA PRACTICE
The most valuable and powerful of all practices I have
found in caring for the dying, one which I have seen an astonishing
number of people take to with enthusiasm, is a practice
from the Tibetan tradition called phowa (pronounced "po-wa"),
which means the transference of consciousness.
Phowa for dying people has been performed by friends, relatives,
or masters, quite simply and naturally, all over the
modern world—in Australia, America, and Europe. Thousands